An article in today’s Guardian, has added extra meaning to our protest outside the UKBA this afternoon. Louise Perrett worked as a case owner at the UK Border Agency office in Cardiff for three and a half months last summer. Due to her experiences of her time in the agency she has risked breaching the Official Secrets Act to go public with evidence of anti-immigration views and abuse of power by UK Border Agency staff.
“I witnessed general hostility, rudeness and indifference towards clients. It was completely horrific. I highlighted my concerns to senior managers but I was just laughed at. I decided to speak out because nobody else was saying anything and major changes are needed at senior management level.”
Her revelations reveal a culture of bigotry and prejudice in the Cardiff office, where members of staff took pride in refusing applications.
- One manager said of the asylum-seeker clients: “If it was up to me I’d take them all outside and shoot them.”
- If a case was difficult, she was simply advised to refuse it and “let a tribunal sort it out”.
- Any officer who approved an asylum application had a stuffed toy “grant monkey” placed on their desk by other members of staff as a badge of shame.
- One official tested the claims of boys from African countries who said they had been forcibly conscripted as child soldiers by making them lie down on the floor and demonstrate how they shot at people in the bush.
- Interviews were conducted without lawyers, independent witnesses or tape recorders.
We have been drawing attention to the fact their is something very rotten at the goings on at 31-33 Newport Road for some time. It comes as no surprise to us that the staff are prejudice and abusive, there are countless examples of the result of the behaviour Louise Perrett describes. We hope her bravery in going public will lead to the wholesale dismissal of staff and fundamental changes in the operation of the agency, if not it’s total abolition.
8 comments
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February 3, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Denise Acton
I feel Louise was very brave to come out and breach the Official Secrets Act,working in racial equality in Wales it comes as no surprise to me. The UKBA never bother replying to us when we submit complaints about Managers of NASS properties about the main housing provider for the UKBA and their consistent racial abuse and harrassment of Asylum seekers similar to the above treatment. we suspected there is something wrong with the UKBA and its officers.
Those seeking asylum and refuge should be treated with respect and humility especially with everything they have experienced within their own country. The UKBA should be recruiting those who adhere to Human Rights and compassion especially in such a position of responsibility.
They should be ashamed and I am glad the whistle has been well and truly blown. It is just a shame the shamed could not be named
February 4, 2010 at 10:16 pm
James Colgan
What a disgrace…..
Fiddling figures, Overpaid, Only work 30 hours a week (so called flexible time) and yet they are unsackable because they work for the government.
Nothing will come of this, it will be swept under the carpet…..
February 5, 2010 at 9:24 pm
James Colgan
the thumbs down must be from borders staff then…
February 11, 2010 at 5:22 pm
MURUTS
I AM ONE OF THEM (ASYLUM SEEKERS) SO THIS IS TOTTALY DISCRIMINATION…..I WISH VICTORY TO LOUSE PERRETT…GOD BLESS HER…
February 14, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Jeal
I am an asylum seeker and I am very glad that finally someone is speaking out. I sign once a month, and to be honest it is my worst nightmare. Every time I’m due to sign, I am litteraly sick. I can’t sleep, it is simply dreadful. Not only you have to go through those security men. Don’t get me wrong, i truly understand and respect that a certain level of security is necessary. However, if they were only doing their job, and not be so disrespectful. And if that was not enough, the officers treat us like rubbish. They sometimes make us wait in the waiting area for over 30 mn while they are chatting among themselves. For us with kids it is so difficult. Being thorn between picking up your kids on time or risk their lifes by not obeing the law. You could argue that I need to go earlier, but no! there is this new rule, where you must be there at a certain time of the day. If not, your are considered as an absconder. I wonder what happens when we are not around!!! (sorry about my english!)
February 18, 2010 at 12:46 pm
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June 1, 2010 at 2:10 pm
tkino
I don’t really know about this…but it is very very BAD!…God bless louise for standing up and speaking out…as someone stated earlier “it would be brushed under the carpet”…neverhteless we must continue to fight so that we can be heard by the right people…by the way Great job peoples standing up for people in such situations that don’t really have a voice…GOD BLESS…
September 2, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Jonathan Mitchell QC >> Success rate in judicial review petitions in Scotland
[…] is obvious; to stop proper judicial scrutiny of its often-appallingly poor decision making. It was recently reported that in one UKBA office any officer who approved an asylum application had a stuffed toy “grant […]